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Olidammara (Deity)
Olidimmara is a god in the world of Athas. He is one of twenty such deities to be counted among the Pantheonic Religion. In terms of the breadth of influence, he is considered an intermediate deity, though his tricks and double-crosses often beguile and enrage more powerful gods. He is usually involved in the affairs of those more powerful than he (and is often the one who instigates their problems in the first place). He is the patron of gamblers, scoundrels, musicians and all those who enjoy a good party. Dogma Ownership equals possession. If you want something, take it--as long you're willing to risk the consequences. If someone takes something from you, then you didn't guard it carefully enough and should take better care next time. Deception is an art and a form of worship. The church teaches that anything taken from someone else was clearly not meant to belong to that person and that any theft in Olidammara's name increases the deity's power. Each member tithes a portion of his take to the church, giving thanks to the deity's blessing and offering prayers for success on the next job. Offerings are always left anonymously by night on a small shrine and they always disappear by sunrise. Olidammara's basic life lesson is that life should be enjoyed and those that take themselves too seriously only bring themselves away from this central fact. On this topic, he further teaches that if one has the chance to indulge themselves in a way that doesn't risk the fun of others — whether it be a wonderful song, an expression of art, a fine carafe of wine, or a delicious meal — they should enjoy it to their fullest, for one never knows how long before the next opportunity comes about. As the patron of music and art of any kind, all those who make the world a little more interesting through these means have his blessing. He is also The Great Trickster, and expects his followers to both make jokes and know how to take them. He in particular likes wine, so making it and then drinking it in good company is one of the most joyful things you can do in life. And you should enjoy yours: temperance and solemnity are the poison of the soul. Those that worship Olidammara are brought up to take nothing especially seriously, to find the good humor in everything if only to keep one's sense of priority and, when necessary, one's sanity. That no matter the power, importance, or tyranny of any authority figure, good or evil, that anyone can still do to have themselves taken down a peg or two now and again, if only to show that anything can bring a laugh. Even Olidammara himself has occasionally been the subject of a good prank — the actions of Fharlanghn, for example. One must never hold themselves so high that they would be offended by being brought back down. Olidammara's religion lacks a single holy book, but instead maintains hundreds of mutually contradictory collections of parables and songs. Any attempt to codify or reconcile these texts is anathema to Olidammara's creed, which teaches that chaos should be embraced and material things have little importance or intrinsic value. Prayers The church of Olidammara is a decentralized ordeal with many of his followers having their own prayers (more like songs), rites (the Ceremony of the Cork to celebrate the opening of a particularly fine wine) and other objects of worship. Prayers are usually sung and tend to rhyme, like drinking songs. Domains The world is an unforgiving place and only those who are willing to go to any lengths have a chance to seize power. Deception, lies and illusion are the tools of the trade. No foe is threat that doesn't know where you are, who you are or what your motives might be. What's real is a state of mind. The world is malleable and those who best learn to manipulate it find the most success, wealth and power. The world was made from the formless void and all that mortals see and experience is temporary. Life, death and all other states of being are transitory. One day, the world will return to the absolute chaos that existed at the beginning of time. No one except you can prevent you from enjoying this temporary existence and you should enjoy it to its fullest. Rules are for those without the inner strength to make their own paths, so seize whatever gives you joy and don't worry about the consequences. Fate is fickle. Although fortune might occasionally favor the bold, the wise make their own luck. The worship of luck combines respect for the inevitable randomness in life with a dedication to swaying fate in one's favor. The unenlightened allow fate to trample roughshod over their lives, bringing doom as often as joy. A true master of fortune manipulates luck ever so slightly to bring more good outcomes than bad. Seek independence, finding the truth within yourself. The whims of fate touch everyone, good and bad, and sometimes your luck isn't good. What goes around comes around. Worshippers Members of the church of Olidammara refer to themselves as "Fingers of the Laughing Rogue", but the church lacks any formal organization. Few cities permit open worship of the deity of thieves, so Olidammara's church is little more than a loose network of hidden shrines tended by secretive clerics. These temples are always located in an urban environment--usually at the heart of Thieve's Guilds, Smuggling Rings or sewer networks--because the followers of Olidammara enjoy the music and vices of the city and find little of interest in more rural environments. The Fingers of the Laughing Rogue live for the opportunity to decieve. Some church members believe that any creature they can take advantage of is weak and exists only for their benefit. Most, however, have had hard lives themselves at some point, so they focus on the wealthier members of society who, they believe, are more deserving of their attention. In addition, openly lawful individuals are frequent targets of the Church. Clergy Becoming a cleric of Olidammara seems easy to an outsider--it's basically just one party, theft and escapade after another. But would-be clerics are being keenly observed even in their least sober moments as more senior followers of the Laughing God look for the right mixture of joy, mischief and an appetite for parties. The dress of his priests is similarly informal, with no ostentation of any sort. Shunning the idea of formal robes, few wear anything too far from what one would expect of a street performer or traveler. Holy symbols are similarly simple, rarely more than a simple wood sculpture. Like Olidammara himself, members of the Church are unreliable when it comes to agreements. They can change allegiences on a whim if doing so appears entertaining or profitable. According to the church, many forms of deception exist and white lies are just the beginning. For these reasons, any follower of Olidammara forms only a few close friendships. Temples Temples set up in honor of Olidammara often double as showhouses or taverns, and many of their priests ply their talents on stage, most having some level of talent at musical performance. Such temples are exceedingly informal even during "services"; since most rituals, liturgies, and even simple prayers are encouraged to be made up as necessary, there's almost no ritual to stand upon. His temples exist in two forms: public places where the arts are practiced and wine is drunk (in other words: concert halls, museums and inns) and outright temples to the Rogue. The larger "temples" are almost always hidden, usually in the sewer network. This is mainly because they house large numbers of thieves, smugglers, burglars and other criminals who are willing to trade their (often stolen or illegal) goods for gold. In War It's a rare occasion indeed when the church of Olidammara rallies to war. Such instances are truly significant events that could mark the end of existence (or their own). In such instances, the church never fights cohesively, relying instead on guerilla tactics; members tend to stick to themselves, hiding in the shadows or staying invisible while summoned monsters fight for them. Alternatively, some use illusions to distract their foes while they strike from behind, using hit-and-run tactics to confusticate and deceive their enemies. Holy Days Followers of Olidammara worship on Starday nights. And by worship, I mean they meet for a massive party, usually in a popular tavern, to drink, sing, gamble and fight until sun-up. Holidays '--Taste of a Hundred Years (01 Olidas):' On this day every year, a cask of wine is opened that was made one hundred years ago. '--The Great Escape (05 Olidas):' A huge feast representing Olidammara's escape from the Room Without Doors--the prison of the gods. During the feast, a cleric of Olidammara is trapped in a jail cell and is given sixty minutes to escape. The feast starts when the escaped Cleric arrives at the feast and makes a toast. In Mythology Olidammara is one of the twenty deities to be counted among the Pantheon. According to the lore, he is the youngest god and younger brother of Kord, god of storms and battle. In many myths and stories, Kord is often the subject of Olidammara's tricks (such as when Olidammara stole Kord's greatsword and hid it behind the sun). Olidammara is also best friends with Fharlanghn, and there are many tales that involve the two gods. In the Old Tales, Olidammara is one of the gods that fought against the Primordials '''during the First War'. After the defeat of the Titans, he was kind of around during the period in which the gods shaped Oerth, but he always made excused to get out of working. What he *did* do, however, was muck up the work of the other gods, adding his own touch of chaos to the world. It is said that Erythnuul was so enraged by these pranks that he descended into madness, becoming the god of madness, torture and slaughter. His anger nearly broke the world in two and he needed to be restrained. It is said that Olidammara laughed all the while. He is often present during the Old Tales, though one should note he rarely did anything of importance. Usually, he tended to agree with anything someone else said or otherwise instigated bickering, disagreements and fighting between the gods. He often worked against his older brother and against Pelor, though he just as often messed with Hextor. He is also present during any scene in which the gods are celebrating, prominently leading a series of poetic songs. His most famous escapade was stealing the sun from the sky while the gods battled Erythnuul, just to prove he could (some say he drove the god mad just to distract the others). He was eventually tricked into admitting his theft by his close friend Fharlanghn, the only one to ever trick the Laughing Rogue. He was then trapped in the Room Without Doors, which he subsequently escaped through unknown means. His personal avatar, and the one commonly associated with him, is a Satyr playing a lute with a big feather in his hat, who sings very vulgar limmericks, and often places ''Power Word Kill and other powerful spells in the choruses. Parables Olidammara does not offer many "parables", only drinking songs, dirty jokes and amusing anecdotes that differ from cleric to cleric. _________________________________________________________________________________ Afterlife Somewhere, on the outer fringes of heaven, by Kord's fields of Ysgard lies the Den of Olidammara, a great hall of mazes and hidden rooms, with at the center a great hall. Filled with all kinds of scoundrels, gamblers, performers and party-goers alike, the Hall is home to the Great Party. In the center stands a great divan which is where Olidammara often sits when not out on some scheme. Trivia *Olidammara is one of the few gods not to have an outright archnemesis. However, St. Cuthbert claims to hate the Laughing Rogue more than any other god. *Best friends with Fharlanghn. Notes *Olidammara's favoured weapon in the rapier. All clerics of Olidammara are proficient in its use. Category:Religion Category:Chaotic Neutral Deities Category:The Pantheon Category:Trickster Deities Category:Chaos Category:Trickery Category:Luck Category:Deity